The present invention is generally directed to a new and improved swivel connector and more particularly to a swivel connector assembly for establishing an interconnection between a member to be pivoted and a pivot with little effort.
There are many situations where a member must be mounted for pivotal movement. In such situations, connectors are often utilized for enabling pivotal movement of the member by interconnecting the member to a pivot, such as a pivot ball.
Connectors for these applications generally include a bearing seat or circular recess which receives and confines the pivot ball while allowing relative pivotal movement therebetween, and means for capturing and supporting the member to be pivoted. As a result, the member is rendered free to pivot about the pivot ball.
Connectors of this variety find considerable use in manufacturing applications. It is necessary for these types of connectors to allow the required pivot connection to be established in a close and cramped environment with little effort by an operator to minimize assembly time and manufacturing cost. However, the connector must also provide a joint connection of extreme integrity to assure that the joint will be reliable and not fail during operation.
From the foregoing, it can be appreciated that a swivel connector must be adapted for assembly to the pivot and to the member with little force. However, the connector must require a high force to cause the connection to come apart.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved swivel connector.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a swivel connector which may be easily assembled to a pivot and to a member to be pivoted while thereafter maintaining a reliable joint connection.
It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide a swivel connector which may be expanded to receive a pivot and an end of a member to be pivoted and then closed and secured to maintain a reliable swivel connection.